CLIMATE: Oregon is poised to pass one of the most progressive climate policies in the nation as legislation creating a cap-and-trade program moves closer to a final vote by lawmakers. (Associated Press)
UTILITIES:
• A Colorado wholesale power provider is considering placing itself under federal regulation just one month after a new law went into effect requiring state approval of its plans. (Denver Post)
• The city of Boulder, Colorado has made a final offer of $82 million to Xcel Energy to buy its own assets in its bid to create its own municipal electric utility. (Denver Post)
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OIL & GAS:
• North Dakota’s attorney general says he plans to ask a federal agency that regulates the transportation of hazardous materials to try to stop Washington’s new volatility rules for rail-shipped oil. (Bismarck Tribune)
• Some members of New Mexico’s congressional delegation are pushing for a Senate hearing on legislation seeking to limit drilling on federal lands near an area considered sacred by several Western tribes. (Associated Press)
• Colorado’s first attempt at overhauling oil and gas regulations under a newly enacted law has triggered a backlash from the industry. (The Colorado Sun)
WILDFIRES: Residents of Nevada’s most fire-prone areas should be prepared for more proactive power shutdowns, say officials with the state’s largest utility. (Reno Gazette-Journal)
STORAGE: Two of California’s largest utilities are proposing new incentives for customers in wildfire prone areas to connect with battery-solar systems in case of planned power shutdowns. (Greentech Media, subscription)
SOLAR:
• A 400 kW solar array on an apartment complex near Portland could be a model for other multi-family housing projects in the state. (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
• The city council in Yakima, Washington is considering signing an agreement with a Seattle nonprofit to help local residents who want to invest in solar energy. (Yakima Herald-Republic)
POLITICS: As the public’s interest in energy reform increases, so does the number of people seeking election to the board of directors of Colorado’s rural co-ops. (Mountain Town News)
COAL: A federal appeals court has dismissed an environmental group’s legal challenge to an Environmental Protection Agency’s order concerning a coal-fired power plant in Utah. (Bloomberg)
COMMENTARY:
• The editorial board of the Los Angeles Times says it is “shockingly disrespectful” for California lawmakers to ignore the recommendation of a state commission to remove the strict liability standard for utilities making them responsible for wildfire damages caused by their equipment regardless of fault.
• Tying Colorado to California’s zero emission vehicle mandate is “frankly regressive,” says the public affairs director of a local group led by an automobile dealers association. (The Colorado Sun)
• Meanwhile, the executive director of a national group advocating for electric vehicles says the head of the Colorado Independent Automobile Dealers Association has cited “outdated, misleading and factually incorrect” information about plug-in cars. (The Colorado Sun)